Problem Solved?
by refya
Summary: Thanks to Darquesse and Skulduggery, Valkyrie has a problem. Spoilers for Death Bringer.


Disclaimer: Characters, settings, or basically anything you recognise are Derek Landy's, not mine. I make no money from this.

AN: Inspired by yapyap's drabbles _And the Darkness Rained Upon Them_: www dot fanfiction dot net slash s slash 7096413 slash 5 slash #

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><p>Darquesse swaggered back into the depths of Valkyrie's subconscious. Leaving her in Skulduggery's arms, his teeth pressed against her lips, her tongue stroking against the smooth enamel. She froze, and staggered back.<p>

She couldn't do this. Not again. But thanks to her dark side, she already had. Barely a month into her relationship with her former ex-boyfriend. When she'd promised never to lie to him again. Or to cheat.

How could she break this to him without breaking his heart? _Again._

_"Sorry, Fletch, I've cheated on you again. Only this time it wasn't my fault! See, Darquesse is me, sort of, except I'm not in control when she comes out to play. She fancies Skulduggery as much as I do, but like Tanith at the moment there's nothing to stop her from acting on her desires."_Even ignoring the Big Bad bombshell, that would go down even worse than when she let her involvement with Caelan slip. At least she hadn't loved the creepy vampire.

Love.

_Oh._

So that's what this was. What had been missing with Fletcher.

_I love Skulduggery._And it felt so natural, so right… yet decidedly wrong at the same time. Especially when she considered what Darquesse had done. Did she only love Skulduggery so much more than poor Fletcher because Darquesse did too?

"I'm sorry." Skulduggery's voice drew her back from her thoughts. His normally smooth baritone sounded rough. "I—"

"No."

She got the feeling he was staring blankly at her. "What?"

"No. I'm not sorry. Well, I am, but only because I've got to dump poor Fletcher again… But never mind that! Don't you dare tell me you're sorry. Unless it's because you kissed her before you kissed me."

He picked up his hat from the ground where Darquesse had knocked it when she pounced. Skulduggery dusted it off before setting it back on his skull. Finally he spoke. "I'm not sorry that Darquesse jumped me, as I know these old bones are very desirable. And if she hadn't I wouldn't have kissed you once she let you back in control. I'd regret that very much."

"Then what were you sorry about?"

"I thought you wouldn't want me. I can understand Darquesse being unable to resist me with her fascination for me. But you have Fletcher, and his pretty face and silly hair and no naked bones. He has lips too."

For someone who could be infuriatingly arrogant and confident, Skulduggery could clearly be insecure. "So have my other boyfriends. That makes you unique. Special. And I really shouldn't be giving your ego ammunition. Fletcher…" Her voice caught guiltily on his name. "He doesn't need the battering."

"I have some sympathy with his plight."

True. Skulduggery did know a lot about love and loss…

"I promise not to rub it in. Much."

But as it was Fletcher and Skulduggery, she clearly couldn't expect too much. Unless she rejected Skul now and either kept it secret from Fletch, or hoped he'd forgive her. Except…

"I want to jump your bones," she blurted. And winced. For someone not too far off her eighteenth birthday, that sounded cringe-worthy. She grabbed hold of Skulduggery's tie and used it to pull the smug bony bastard into another kiss.

When she pulled away, breathing hard, he leaned down to touch his forehead to hers, ignoring the way it knocked his hat askew. His hand come up to stroke against her cheek. "Perhaps this is cause to hope."

"Hmm?" She grimaced. Very articulate of her!

"That as there is agreement between Darquesse and the rest of you on my jump-able bones, there may be some way to use that to control her."

And not end the world…

The only problem being that she would have to end Fletcher's. Her poor soon-to-be-ex-again-boyfriend would be devastated.

Her mobile chirped as a text arrived. She glanced apologetically at Skul and dug it out of her pocket to check it. Probably Fletcher wanting to know where she was so he could teleport to her… best to get this over with, and he deserved to know in person. Much as she didn't want to see his face as she broke that news to him. Again.

She unlocked the touch screen of her mobile and poked the message icon.

The phone dropped from nerveless fingers.

"Valkyrie?"

Not from Fletcher. Tanith. Two words. Oh god…

_'Problem solved.'_

And that photo…

Skulduggery picked up the phone, the screen now cracked and dark. Dead.

Like Fletcher.

"Valkyrie?" He put his hand on her shoulder.

"We need to deal with Tanith," she whispered. "We've left it far too late already."

"The message…"

"Tanith sent a photo of what she'd just done to _help_me." She choked on the words, fighting against the urge to throw up. She'd seen worse. She'd done…

Skulduggery pulled her into his arms. She broke down, sobbing.

Fletcher was dead and it was all her fault.


End file.
